Summertime isn’t all about pool parties and picnics — at least not here at TVLine. No, for us this week marks the official start of Emmy season, seeing as the nomination process is about to begin, culminating in the July 14 reveal of who did/didn’t got a nod. In the coming days, we’ll be taking a close look at all the contenders in the major races and highlighting our dream candidates — the six shows and performers in each category that we think voters should recognize when they fill out their ballots.

First up: Outstanding Comedy Series. This year, to put it mildly, the competition is no laughing matter. For starters, the showdown between Glee and Modern Family is more intense then ever, as the ABC comedy tries to match the Fox musical’s back-to-back Golden Globes victories with its own consecutive Emmy win. Also, if one or more of a trio of buzzed-about up-and-comers — Community, Parks and Recreation and/or Cougar Town — sneak into the running, that would shake things up as much as seeing an Emmy stalwart — say, 30 Rock or The Office — get bumped by one of Showtime’s female-skewing dramedies. And don’t rule out the possibility of CBS’ Globes-nominated The Big Bang Theory finally scoring itself an Emmy nod.

Ready to dive in? Review this slideshow of contenders — including our half-dozen Dream Nominees — then vote for your own favorite six below. And check back tomorrow for our review of the Lead Actress in a Comedy race!

I made a promise to myself in December that if Community didn’t get nominated I would throw my cat. Come on Emmy voters, do you really want my cat to suffer like that? Community SHOULD win hands down, but people are dumb soooo.
Really? I love Glee but it is nowhere as good as any other show on this ballot. They’ve really done almost nothing right this season. It does not desereve a nomination in the least. Now it’s actors, thats a whole other story.
Parks and Rec would be my next pic for most deserving of the awarad. It has been absolutley fantastic this season and is pretty much prefection in my eyes. Your a complete idiot if you think any of those quasi comedys on Showtime are better than Parks.
How i Met Your Mother should get nominated, with the Marshall’s dad dieing story line and Barney meeting his dad plot its really worked it’s way back up from that lackluster 5th season.

“Kudos to the producers for broadening the cast this season and stepping up the romance for Mayim Bialik’s and Melissa Rauch’s characters”? Um, sorry. No. Big Bang is still my fave TV sitcom; the one-liners are still funny as hell … but this season was my least favorite of ‘em all. Too many characters are spoiling the pot. I know I’m not alone in missing what made the show a hit to begin with — the uniquely hilarious relationship of the 4 nerds and their street smart pal (who just happens to be a hot chick) who loves them dearly that she puts up with all their odd shticks. If I had one wish for this show, it’ll be that they go back to that dynamic for Season 5. The others girls can have recurring guest roles, like Stuart and Barry Kwip — I mean — Kripke.

I think it will be an actual travesty if Parks & Rec doesn’t at LEAST get nominated. It’s the most original show on television and this season has been absolutely perfect (granted I’m biased, as it is my favorite show pretty much ever and I embarrassingly had a nightmare that it got canceled and I had to go check the internet the next morning to make sure I was wrong). It seamlessly integrated two new characters (Ben and Chris…I was so excited about Adam Scott becoming a regular because I miss Party Down, which definitely should have been nominated last year) who were introduced at the end of season 2 into a character-driven comedy and now it feels as if the show would be missing something if they weren’t there. The writing is the best on television, they take so much care into every detail of every character and aspect of the town. Not to mention, it’s optimistic! Most comedy right now relies heavily on being cynical or mean, which can be funny, but it’s getting to the point where most of it is just lazy. If P&R doesn’t get a nod I will cry. Well if they win I will also cry. The waterworks are inevitable, I just hope they’re happy ones!
My other votes definitely go to Modern Family, Community, Eastbound & Down, Big Bang Theory, and the Big C. I am a long time Office fan but I think it’s way past its prime and shouldn’t get nominated, but I won’t be upset if it does. I don’t think Glee should either, and I watch it every week, but I understand why Emmy voters would want it in the running at least. It addresses a lot of issues other comedies don’t come near which is important, especially to the kids watching…it doesn’t address them in a very intelligent manner, but still.

My dream nominees would be:
Community
Parks & Recreation (winner)
United States of Tara
Cougar Town
Louie
30 Rock

Community certainly is the most creative of the bunch, Parks & Recreation is the fullest formed series with both great characters and amusing storylines. United States of Tara, while not in anyways a comedy, still deserves its dues for being such a fantastic and ambitious show. It’s terrible that it got cancelled. There was times in the first season of Louie where I just had to pause because I thought I was having a heart attack from laughing, but it wasn’t as consistent as the other shows I picked, and at times it was a bit too cold. 30 Rock had easily one of its best seasons yet, and I’m happy that it is a lock to be nominated again this year for comedy series.

These shows will get nominated:
The Office
Modern Family
Glee
Hot in Cleveland
The Big C
30 Rock

I wouln’t put it past the academy to put the woefully unfunny Nurse Jackie in that category as well, even if it’s undeserved for its lazy, uneven third season. Parks & Recreation is certainly a dark horse as well, due to the love for Amy Poehler and the buzz surrounding it. The Office is deserved, if only for the farewell Carell arch of the season. Sadly I think Modern Family played it a bit too safe this year, with little character development and a bit too obvious laughs. Felt very much dumbed down this year. Glee doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as many of these others shows after the inconsistent and down-right terrible season it had, but it will get nominated nevertheless. The terrible Hot in Cleveland will sadly also get nominated due to its Golden Globe nomination earlier this year, and its throwback nature to comedies of the 80s and 90s. Betty White certainly helps it. The Big C is undeserved due to how inconsistent it was – terrific pilot, some good episodes along the way, others truly horrible, but a fantastic finale. I find all the characters grating and there wasn’t too many laughs in the best episodes of the series. As said earlier, 30 Rock is the only deserving nominee from those who will certainly get in the race. That’s a bit depressing to think of, given how terrific Community, Parks & Recreation and Cougar Town have all been this season.

Of all the shows on the list, How I Met Your Mother totally deserves the award for this category! Modern Family also deserves a nomination, and Glee should probably be in the Drama category not this one.

Glee should definitely win because apart from it being histerical, it is helping to save the arts in schools, which the emmys should really take into consideration. They can somehow take a dark theme or subject and turn it into an uplifting story, all while remaining brilliantly funny. Modern Family is also a good choice, but in my opinion none of the other shows have nearly as clever of writing, or the incredible acting that these two shows have. Actually I should add the big bang theory. I am a huge fan of that show as well but i still dont think it compares to Glee

COMMUNITY FOR THE WIN! I mean, Hecto “The Well-Endowed” could teach the Emmy voters this thing “he” does with four fingers. HILARIOUS! Also, Best Christmas Episode of any show this past year. Have you see their last 2 episodes of season 2 back to back? Fantastic work by the cast, the crew and ALEX (Starburns)!

30 ROCK was MEDIOCRE, AT BEST for THE WHOLE SEASON! Seriously.
Parks & Rec. was good, too. Definitely should be nominated.

Parks & Rec and Cougar Town make me laugh the most out of those shows (the ones i watch at least) Parks & Rec really did have a flawless season. Cougar town comes pretty damn close (closer than any other show imo)

The Middle is pretty funny and I enjoy it, Modern Family got better towards the end of this season than at the start for me, 30 Rock was much better this season than last, Episodes is enjoyable for me. Glee should not be nominated.

I watch a few more of those shows but I think some need time to develop more before getting a nom or some were more miss than hit this season.

30 Rock deserve at least a nomination because it has remained, for the most part, consistently good, and if not it’s always been above average.
I’m just wondering why doesn’t Desperate Housewives get to be in this category? This latest season was an incredible step up from the last!
All said and done though… it’s got to be Cougar Town for the win!!

Community should win. It’s ambitious, creative, character driven with flawless continuity and amazing screen writing. But maybe it’s too cult and meta for Emmys, so I probably would be okay with Parks & Recreation because it is also amazing. Too bad they are often ignored for lesser shows. I swear if Glee wins, I will hunt and shave the eyebrows of every single Emmy voter out there. There are no excuses. 30 Rock is consistent, but he used to be better. And TBBT is okay, but I guess it’s more about the actors than the writing.

I forgot to include in my review that Modern Family stays delightful and also deserve some love. It’s hard to decide what’s best… Okay, except Glee. Their scripts are not consistent (Aka Should be used as toilet paper), almost every single character are unlikeable and one dimensional (I am looking at you, Finn Hudson… The hypocrite auto tuned leading man) and almost every single female character is weak and pathetic aka Rachel Berry.

Should be nominated: The Big C, Glee, Cougar Town, Modern Family, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation
Most likely will be nominated: Modern Family, 30 Rock, The Office, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, Hot In Cleveland

Let’s see : Parks and Recreation, Community, Big Bang Theory and Modern Family should be nominated, hands down. For the other two spots, I would really, really want South Park and Cougar Town to be nominated!!
Though of course, it is goiung to be f*****g Glee who’ll be nominated. And so will 30 Rock. Damn, Emmy voters are stupid!

Parks & Rec is so underrated. I think it’s the best comedy on the air right now. It has extremely well defined characters, humor that is actually in line with a plot, both in individual episodes and in a seasonal arc, and actors with improv training who can truly work together. Plus, it rewards ardent fans with the call backs in a way Arrested Development used to. It’s extremely well done.

Cougar Town and HIMYM deserve to be nominated this year. With Marshall and Lily’s pregnancy storyline, this was an okay season. And as for CT, I love Courtney Cox and the cast. Modern Family and Glee will be nominated because the Emmys love these shows. Only the Glee cast deserve to be nominated tbh. Chris Colfer, Naya Rivera and Jayma Mays, yes. And i agree, Community and Parks & Recreation deserve to be recognized. I love these shows. :)

I was very impressed with Steve Carell’s last year and I love himmmmm on The Office! They did him right this season! I hope he wins for actor and Cougar Town wins for show, but wake up, I am dreaming. I would believe The Office would win for the show before I’d believe Cougar Town would win…I’ll be OK if Modern Family wins and faint dead away if Chuck wins. I was going to choose Parks and Rec over 30 Rock, but I haven’t watched a full season of either so I picked the one I watched more of.